Something I'm Not
by Fuzzy Bee
Summary: When Jack is threatened with revenge, Will and the pirate get detoured when Jack winds up with a curse that turns him into... read and see! Eventual JackWill
1. Prologue

Something I'm Not  
By: Fuzzy Bee Summary: When a surviving member of Barbossa's crew wants revenge on Jack, Will and the pirate get detoured when Jack winds up with a curse that turns  
him into... read and see! Eventual Jack/Will  
Rating: PG-13 (Rating subject to change)  
Genre: Action/Supernatural/Romance  
Note: This story will eventually become a Jack/Will slash (guy/guy relationship story), so if you don't like that kind of thing, please don't  
complain to me. You have been warned. (Ooooh, I love slash so! ^_^) Another Note: I'm still messing with the format, so bear with me if it's really messy right now. I won't be able to update as fast as normal bacause  
of school... yuck. 9th grade is weird.  
Disclaimer: Do I LOOK like Disney??? DO I?! Nooooo, 'didn't think so. Therefore, I could not POSSIBLY own "Pirate's of the Caribbean". I wish I  
did, though. Then I could make moneys. I like moneys. *Insane glint*  
Mooooooneeeeeyyyyysssss......  
~*~ ProChapter Author's Notes: The main story in this fic is actually not about the surviving bad guy, but about what happens to poor Jack and how Will and  
(eventually, when she shows up) Elizabeth try to help him. The bad guy- thing is more of a sidestory and a reason to put Jack and Will back on the same ship, savvy? The fic starts fast for the reason of getting to the main story, so bear with me. Now... ON WITH THE FIC! ^_^ (My first PotC fic, by  
the way)  
  
~Prologue~ (Which is fairly short and not very descriptive, for it is a mere prologue  
meant to let you know what happened proceeding current events)  
~*~  
  
Will's mind raced as he stood at the docks late that night. He shifted the weight of the bag on his back as the ship he had been waiting for finally began to be visible on the water. He took in a slow, deep breath and reflected on the events leading up to his speedy departure from Port Royal.  
  
Will had woke up early that morning to the sound of the smithy door flinging open and Governor Swann frantically rushing toward him, calling "Mr. Turner!" a few times, apparently not realizing that his haphazard door- swinging had already awoken the blacksmith.  
Governor Swann had immediately asked if Will knew where Elizabeth was. Confused, Will asked why, but the frantic father would not explain until he was certain that Will knew nothing of her whereabouts. Elizabeth, as the governor had later explained, had vanished in the night without a trace except for a disturbed lamp in the hall outside her bedroom door. After recovering from this shock and further conversation on the subject of her disappearance, Governor Swann had excused himself and left to go question others, slamming the door behind him.  
It was then that Will had noticed an old dagger sticking out of the wood of the door, holding a piece of paper firmly in place. He examined the dagger first, but then turned his intentions to the paper and, yanking it off the door, discovered it was a note. It read (though in poorer spelling and grammar)...  
  
Son of Bootstrap,  
I've taken your woman. If you ever want her alive again, bring me Jack Sparrow. I believe you know the place, for it's where the wretch slayed Captain Barbossa and caused ruin to our crew. If you come without Sparrow, both you and the woman will die. If you come with anyone other than Sparrow, the same will happen. Do not breathe a word of this to anyone.  
  
Will had been stunned and a million thoughts entered his mind. He didn't know what to do or what to expect. After some deliberation, he decided that the best thing he could do now would be to find Jack. After speaking with many sailors at the dock, he finally gathered enough information to determine that the 'Black Pearl' would be returning to Tortuga to spend its ill-gotten spoils in only a few days. He arranged for a merchant vessel called 'The Lady Blue' to transport him to Tortuga that very night.  
  
That brought Will to where he was now, standing on the dock at night as the ship finally pulled into the harbor. Shifting his pack once more, he made his way onto the vessel and began the voyage to Tortuga.  
  
Will thought it would have been a longer wait than it was for the 'Black Pearl' to drop its crew, but it was only two days after arriving that he spotted Gibbs and Annamaria heading towards the very pub where Jack had taken Will on their previous adventure. After spotting them, the blacksmith hurried towards them, calling their names.  
"William Turner! 'Funny thing t' see you 'ere, boy!" Gibbs said as Will caught them before they entered the bar. "What brings ye to Tortuga, anyhow?"  
Taking a moment to catch his breath from his dash up to the two, Will replied "Where's Jack? I need to speak with him right away! It's very important."  
Annamaria lifted an eyebrow. "Important?" she snorted. "What is it that's so important?"  
"Please! I MUST speak with him. Where is he?" Will pleaded.  
Gibbs turned to Annamaria and they exchanged a few whispers. Finally Annamaria nodded at Will. "Fine, boy." she said. "I'll take you to the captain. He's still on the 'Pearl'. Follow me and keep up, I'm not waiting for you." With a little grunt, Annamaria twisted on her foot and headed off.  
"Thank you." Will said as he followed behind her. Annamaria simply 'hmph'ed. She obviously didn't trust Will, and REALLY didn't want to have to head all the way back to the ship when she hadn't even made it into the bars yet. Will decided it best not to converse with her on the way to the 'Pearl'.  
Jack had hidden his ship just off the outskirts of Tortuga between large canyon walls, only a short row from shore. When the two reached the deck, Will instantly spotted Jack. For a moment he simply stared at him, his beaded hair flowing with the breeze from under his favorite tri- cornered hat. His jacket folded roughly and hanging over the edge of the ship. A bottle of rum in his hand. Startling Will from his thoughts, Annamaria called to him and the pirate spun around, noticing for the first time that someone had boarded his ship.  
"What is it, Anna---" Jack began as he neared the two. "Will!" He shouted happily, throwing his arms into the air and causing rum to slosh onto the deck. "Fancy seein' you again, mate! Come to seek out yer ol' cap'n and join a life of piracy, no doubt?" He laughed and patted Will roughly on the back.  
Will smiled widely in spite of himself, realizing just how badly he really had missed the insane pirate. "Jack!" he chuckled, giving the man's hand a shake. "It really is good to see you again, though I'm afraid you're a bit off on your theory of me joining a life of piracy."  
"'Shame. Just as well... you'll come 'round one 'o these days." Jack smirked. He waved toward the female pirate standing just behind Will. "Leave us, Annamaria." he commanded. The woman nodded and headed off on her own. "Well then, what is it that brings you back aboard the 'Pearl', lad?" Jack said, turning back towards Will.  
Will explained the whole situation to Jack. After a bit of conversing and, on Jack's part, alcohol consumption, Jack agreed to let Will aboard his ship and set sail toward the island where the previously undead pirates horded their stash. They would devise a plan on the way there.  
"Word 'as it..." Jack said drunkenly with a sly grin during some moment of their conversation. "That in those caves is a one-of-a-kind gem that's supposed to be some kind'a sorcery. 'Bet that bloody thing would fetch a pretty sum. I think I shall like to 'ave that. One more good reason to head out there, eh?"  
  
That gem, as they would find out, would be a lot more than Captain Jack Sparrow had bargained for.  
  
PostChapter Author's Notes: Yes, I know. Nothing interesting happened in the prologue and it was short. It was only there so you'd be able to understand what the hell's going on. Chapter One is a bit more interesting, and while it doesn't delve very deep into the plotline, it's there to spark the beginning of a little Jack/Will romancing. Chapter Two is when stuff will really begin to happen... though don't skip chapters, fool! You will find yourself confused. Blarg. Don't bother reviewing until you've read more than the prologue, savvy? ^.^ Hee hee... I love to say that.  
=+= 


	2. Ch1: Where's Your Shirt!

PreChapter Author's Notes: Like I said, this chapter starts up the Jack/Will cuteness. It's not an action-packed chapter or anything, but I personally think that there is some real cuteness going on. Heh heh... I can't wait until my later chapters where the cuteness can become a bit more... wicked. ; P  
  
~Chapter One~  
*"Where's Your Shirt?"*  
  
The crew hurried about the deck, Jack shouting orders from behind the captain's wheel. Will stood meekly next to him and a step back, watching in fascination as each man did exactly as the captain commanded. Jack turned and lifted an eyebrow at Will.  
"You expectin' a free ride there, boy?" he asked in a haughty but friendly tone. "It'd be a shame for such an able-bodied young lad like yourself to be just sitting on 'is ass when there's so much work to be done, 'specially a young lad with pirate in his blood."  
Will wanted to impress Jack with his abilities, but none of those included sailing. "I'd be more than happy to help, Jack, of course, but I don't know the first thing about the workings of a ship."  
"Who says ye need to work the ship?" Jack replied. "Hold that thought a moment, William." Jack shouted an order to all the crew, and finally the ship was able to take to the sea once again. She glided gracefully over the water, causing all men onboard to shift the weight of their sea legs. This was more of a challenge for Will, but he was determined not to let Jack regret taking him in.  
'Why do I keep thinking about impressing Jack?' Will thought to himself. 'This is about saving Elizabeth! Geez... you'd think that---"  
"William!" Jack barked, snapping Will out of his thoughts. "As I was saying, not all work on a ship requires sailing." The captain motioned toward a bucket of water with a sponge floating in it. "Swab the deck around me, boy. Make 'er shine." Jack turned to grin like a madman at the unhappy Will. "I'm gonna make you sorry ye ever hopped aboard MY ship." Jack winked playfully.  
Will knew that Jack was having mercy on him by having him scrub the small space around the captain's wheel, but was determined to pull it off with utmost grace. He grinned back. "Aye, CAPTAIN." Jack smiled to himself as Will set about to swab the deck.  
"Good whelp."  
~*~  
That night, with the anchor down, Jack, Will, and the crew had all settled in a room below deck with a wooden table, a few chairs, and a small rug. Almost everyone was drinking (including, if not ESPECIALLY, Jack) and generally having a very good time playing cards or dancing around like the drunken pirates they were.  
Jack sat in the biggest chair, the only one with a cushion, at the head of the table, with a half empty bottle of rum clutched lovingly in his hand. Will was pinned in the corner of the crowded room, desperately trying to make his way toward Jack, the only person he knew well enough to be comfortable around.  
It wasn't difficult to follow his loud, drunken voice. He was entertaining his crew with a story about a woman he once had and her jealous husband, and illustrated every point with a flamboyant flail of his hands and a swig of his rum. Will finally made his way up to Jack just as the pirate was speaking...  
"... an' I just grabbed the wench," he spotted Will and got an evil little grin on his face, "...like THIS!" He reached out for the back of Will's pants and plopped the very surprised young blacksmith into his lap, draping the arm not containing rum over his shoulder and holding him there. All the men laughed loudly and Will blushed deeper than he ever thought possible.  
"Swig of rum, luv?" Jack wickedly asked the lad in his lap.  
Flustered and wide-eyed, Will simply asked "Where's your shirt?!"  
Jack pretended to be deep in thought for a moment. "I dunno." he finally concluded. "'Must 'ave run away, cause the poor dear's been missing for quite a while now."  
Will tried to squirm out of Jack's hold, feeling extremely uncomfortable sitting on the man's lap in front of a motley crew of pirates. Jack held firm and whispered into Will's ear, "Yer not goin' anywhere, boy."  
"Jack..." Will hissed, sounding more pleading than he wanted it to. "I am HIGHLY uncomfortable with this."  
"I know, luv." Jack laughed. "Thass why I'm doin' it! Yer too high strung, ya know that? And you blush like a little girl. Relax. Have some grog." Jack picked up a random tin off the table and offered it to Will.  
"I don't drink." Will grumbled, feebly wiggling in Jack's grasp with no effect. "What are you doing? Let me---" Will began to protest when he realized that his squirming had placed him in a rather suggestive position. He was still on Jack's lap, but he was turned slightly with the side of his face pressed against Jack's bare chest and the man's ring-bejeweled hand around the back of his neck, over his shoulder, and on his own clothed chest. He meekly looked up at Jack, who lifted an eyebrow in humor.  
"Made yourself comfortable, 'ave you?" the pirate laughed, gulping an inhuman amount of rum. Will breathed in deep the smell of Jack, the smell of rum and sea air, before realizing that he had not moved. He jolted back into the original position Jack had him in, and somehow managed to deepen his hellish blush.  
"Ya know, men," Jack began loudly addressing the men at the table. Will tried to look away from the odd glances they were casting him, what with him in the captain's lap and all. Jack continued. "This 'ere boy... he's a good boy, savvy? Make 'im feel at home 'ere on the 'Pearl'. Any man who dares treat 'im like the whelp he really is, I'll toss ye overboard." At this, Jack began to laugh loudly, and judging by the slur of his words, was amazingly even drunker than he had been earlier. Finally seeing an opportunity to escape the crew's eyes, he addressed the pirate silently.  
"Jack... you're very drunk." he said, standing slowly as he had realized that Jack was no longer holding him in place. He pulled the man to his feet by his arm. "Let's get you back to your cabin, you looney."  
Jack went to protest, but just nodded and yanked his arm out of Will's grasp. He nearly fell in his drunken state, but with a bit of help from Will he managed to make it to the deck where they were finally alone.  
"Will... whassa matter with ya? Yer not drunk at all, boy. Where's the fun in THAT?" Jack slurred, wobbling unsteadily. Will rolled his eyes.  
"Look what being drunk does to a man." he replied, his long-standing flushed cheeks decreasing in redness a bit. "You're completely out of your mind."  
"I'm never out of my mind, boy. I always know essactly wuhs goin' on *hiccup*. 'Scuse me." Jack replied. Taking in a deep breath and closing his eyes, he seemed to sober only slightly. "Yer on a pirate ship, mate. You need to loosen up a bit. I meant ye know harm, so quite blushing before I start addressing you as 'woman'. Ah, great, now yer blushing more. What's wrong with you?" Jack laughed, proud at how uncomfortable he had made Will.  
"I am NOT blushing." Will insisted. "I'm tired, though. Surely you're not going to make me sleep down with the crew...?" William trailed off and looked hopefully at Jack. He didn't want to be stuffed down there with them.  
Jack looked at Will oddly. "I was GOING to, but if ya really got somethin' against it, you can share my cabin." he replied, than quickly added, "And yer not kicking me out of me own bed."  
Will sighed with relief. The captain's cabin was very nice and furnished beautifully, and he would be all alone except for him and Jack... wait a minute. He would be all alone... with Jack. He suddenly felt nervousness flutter into his stomach and hoped desperately that he hadn't reddened more. Will shook the thought out of his head. "I'd like that." he simply replied.  
Jack gave a nod and motioned for Will to follow him as he headed toward his cabin. When they entered, Will shut the door behind him once the pirate had lit a few candles. There was a bed to the side of the room, a desk and chair, a trunk, a liquor cabinet, and a large cushioned chair. Will watched Jack intently as the shirtless pirate removed his boots and belt and tossed them onto the chair.  
Will slipped off his own boots and set them next to the door. "Where do ya plan on sleepin'?" Jack asked. Will thought a moment.  
"There doesn't seem like anywhere to sleep but the floor." he concluded. Jack shrugged as if he didn't agree, but pulled the top blanket and a pillow off his bed and tossed them to Will. The blanket landed draped over his head so he couldn't see and the pillow hit him right in the face. "AUGH!"  
Jack chuckled and Will snorted indignantly as he managed to escape the blanket, but then he smiled slightly and laughed, too. He tossed the pillow next to Jack's bed and sat in front of it with the blanket curled up in his lap. Jack practically stepped over him as he strode up to his desk.  
Bending over it, the pirate dipped his quill in some ink and began to scribble something into a leather-bound book. Will watched with interest as Jack put the pen away and slipped the book into a drawer. Will turned away quickly as Jack walked back in attempt to hide the fact that he had been watching the captain.  
Jack plopped onto his bed, his arm dangling off the side and purposefully placing his open hand directly on Will's face. The boy made a muffled noise and Jack grinned and removed it. There was a comfortable silence for a bit.  
"What are we going to do when we reach the island?" Will asked, not sure why he had whispered. Jack made a low breathy noise, than allowed his arm to dangle off the bed once more, this time bending his arm so as not to disturb William.  
"I'm not sure." the pirate admitted. "I'm thinking something along the lines of hiding our ship, you and me goin' into the caves with the crew sneaking up the rear, and when we verify your lass's safety ambush whatever fool dares to think he might pull one over the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow." Will could nearly feel the smirk that was surely on the captain's lips as he said that last line.  
"Sounds good." Will agreed silently. There was another silence, this one less comfortable.  
Jack could sense the cause for the boy's quietness. "She'll be alright, Will." he said, speaking in a comforting tone that Will had never heard before. "Everything will be fine. I promise you upon pain of death."  
Will felt his body relax at Jack's words. If Jack said so, he'd believe it. He was amazed at the comforting power the crude man possessed. He was also amazed to realize that, until just moments ago, he hadn't thought about Elizabeth once. He was too focused on Jack Sparrow. He again pushed the thought back. "I believe you." he finally said softly. He sighed and reached up to lightly let his fingers touch Jack's palm. "Thank you."  
Jack gave the boy's fingers a gentle squeeze before pulling his arm back into his bed. "G'night, William." he said with a bit of a yawn and a hiccup.  
Will took a moment to listen to Jack's steadying breathing before replying in a voice so soft and hushed that only he could here it. "Good night... Captain Jack Sparrow." Will rolled onto his side, facing away from Jack's bed, and closed his eyes.  
  
PostChapter Author's Notes: Like I said, just basically some drunken Will- centered antics from Jack and confused Jack-centered musings from Will. Seriously, though... picture Will all snuggled into Jack's chest as they were in this chapter. CUTENESS! ^_^  
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	3. Ch2: Death Isn't Good Enough!

ProChapter Author's Notes: Okay, things start finally happening in this chapter. HURRAH! A little more Jack/Will-ness, but not much yet. Elizabeth finally joins the story. Yadda yadda. Just read, fool! _  
~*~  
~Chapter Two~  
*"Death Isn't Good Enough."*  
  
The sun had risen not too long ago, and Captain Jack Sparrow was behind the wheel with Will at his side once more. The two men had informed the crew of their rescue plan, and they did not agree at first. Once reminded of the treasures hidden inside the island cave, however, they were more than happy to provide the backup their captain had ordered.  
For a while, Jack, Will, and the entire crew were fairly silent as Captain Sparrow once again skillfully steered his beloved ship through the perilous passage that had claimed the lives of many sailors and pirates before them.  
"Soon enough, young William," Jack spoke, not moving his eyes off of the sea before him, trying to reassure Will. "You'll 'ave your little lass back and it will be all happily-ever-afters from then on, eh?"  
Will was silent a moment and gave a grim nod. Jack gave him a questioning look. "Things... haven't been as perfect as I thought they would be." Will admitted after a moment.  
"How do you mean?" Jack inquired.  
"Well, Elizabeth is so... high class." Will began. "So proper. We never touch, just a rare kiss here and there when no one is watching. It's like we're miles away."  
The two were silent a moment more, before Jack grinned wickedly. "Ah, 'never touch'? So I suspect yer still an innocent then, lad?" the pirate laughed. "Or... perhaps a eunuch?" Will scowled.  
"I am NOT a eunuch."  
"I've seen no proof."  
"And you never will."  
Suddenly, Jack held his hand out to shush Will. "Quiet, boy." he said. "We're here." Jack ordered the crew to lower the sails and drop the anchor, and the 'Black Pearl' was soon completely stopped.  
They were surprised to find that nobody was guarding the entrance to the cave. Jack and Will, swords at their sides and Jack with his now loaded pistol, they slowly began rowing into the cave. Coming up behind them was two more boats of Jack's crew, careful to stay as quiet and out of sight as possible.  
Will shivered slightly as he thought about what they might find once the reached the heart of the cave. He slowly turned his eyes to Jack, who seemed completely emotionless as he rowed the boat forward. He took in a deep breath, and until their little boat hit the land, neither of them had spoke.  
"Now, boy," Jack whispered to Will as they crept silently onto the rocks. "Keep yer sword in yer hand, and as I asked you the last time we were here... try not to do anything STUPID."  
Will nodded. "I remember. 'Wait for the opportune moment'." he quoted the pirate. Jack grinned, pleased at hearing his words come from the boy's mouth. Once the crew had assembled with their weapons at the ready on the rocks and out of sight, Jack nodded toward Will.  
The captain and the blacksmith crept silently into the large opening of the cave. It was basically the same, littered with gold and jewels. The only difference was Elizabeth sitting in a corner of the room and a rather uninviting pirate standing in front of her with arms crossed and eyes fixed on Jack and Will, but there was no one else.  
"Will! Jack!" Elizabeth exclaimed upon seeing them.  
"Sparrow and Turner." the pirate spat the names as if they were venom. "So good to see you. Come in, come in." He yanked Elizabeth to her feet and brought his pistol to her temple. "You'll be dropping your weapons now, mates."  
Will looked to Jack, and the pirate gave a small nod. They set their swords on the ground. Jack didn't make a move for the pistol in his holster, for it couldn't be seen under his long coat. "Scott." Jack regarded the man.  
Scott grinned. "So you remember me then, CAPTAIN Jack Sparrow." he hissed. "You should, after what you DONE to me." He threw Elizabeth to the ground, but kept his gun pointed at her.  
"'What I did to YOU?!'" Jack snorted indignantly. "I do believe it was you and the rest of that mutinous crew of scum that betrayed their ol' Cap'n Jack and stuck 'im on an island to die. An' you 'ave the audacity to blame ME for fightin' back at the cursed lot of you? I do believe I 'ad every right to get you all hanged... though apparently they missed one."  
"We were going to finally be free." Scott scowled through gritted teeth, obviously not caring about the logic in Jack's statement. "I'll make you pay what you've done to me."  
"So you're gonna try to kill me AGAIN, mate?" Jack chuckled. "'Seems you've tried that before... twice, if I'm not mistaken? Three times the charm, is that your plan?"  
"Bloody DEVIL." Scott growled. "Death isn't good enough! I will make you pay for the rest o' your days, just like you've done to me. You'll wish for death." Saying that, the man pulled a round, golden object from his pocket. In the middle sat a beautiful pink gem, and on the surrounding gold were inscriptions of a language long gone.  
"Ah, you're going to give me a present?" Jack laughed with a sarcastic smile. "Thass a kind gesture, mate! Rather pretty little sparkly, don't ye think, Will?" Will just shifted uncomfortably, worried about where all this was going.  
"Fool." Scott sneered. "This is the gem of the sorceress of the sea, Badiva."  
"Uh-huh...?" Jack cocked an eyebrow.  
"Many years ago," Scott explained. "Badiva's husband betrayed her with her very sister. Badiva became so infuriated with all of mankind that she cast a curse upon this gem, swearing revenge on the men who've hurt her. Any man who the spell is cast upon will be cursed. If the man is submerged in seawater just once after it is cast upon him, the curse will take effect. So far as I know, 'tis irreversible aside from one cure that no man has ever found."  
Jack was silent and simply looked at the gem. Finally, he spoke. "And so, let me guess here... you're plannin' on setting a magical hocus-ie pocus-ie on me?" Jack grinned.  
"Laugh now." Scott shrugged. "You'll regret it later." Scott held the amulet in front of him, gem pointed at Jack, and began to mumble something in a language none understood. It only took a moment, and Will could swear he saw the gem grow in brightness as he spoke, and then fade to an almost dull red color when he had finished. He also thought he saw a slight tremor occur around Jack, but the pirate seemed not to notice or care.  
"That's it then?" Jack asked humorously.  
"That's it." Scott said with a grin. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I shall kill the girl and the lad and let you on your way, Sparrow." Scott aimed his gun straight at Will.  
BLAM!  
In a fashion quite similar to the fight with Barbossa, Jack had drawn his gun and shot Scott faster than the other pirate could shoot Will. He had got him almost cleanly in the middle of the chest, knocking him over immediately.  
As soon as the gunshot was heard, the crew that had been waiting as backup appeared, weapons drawn. "It's taken care of." Jack said to them, and they put down their swords and pistols and inspected the scene.  
"Will!" Elizabeth shouted, running up to the blacksmith. "I'm so glad to see you!" She threw her arms around him and the two embraced closely for a moment. She gave him a small peck on the lips.  
"I'm so glad you're all right, Elizabeth." Will said, relieved. He brushed a strand of hair from her face as they ended the hug. The young woman turned to Jack.  
"Jack Sparrow." she addressed him with a wide smile.  
"Thass CAPTAIN Jack Sparrow, luv." the pirate replied with a smirk.  
Elizabeth surprised the captain with a hug, but he returned it nevertheless. "Thank you." she said fondly to both men. They both smiled and gave her a nod. After the crew finished gathering whatever treasures they could find from the cave, they set off back toward the 'Pearl'.  
Will rowed this time, Elizabeth in the middle of the little boat and Jack in the front, admiring the jewels he had pilfered from the cave. "Jack..." Will began suddenly. "What of the curse?"  
"What of it?" Jack chuckled. "It's nothin'." He nonchalantly continued to go through his findings. Elizabeth spoke up, a worried tone in her voice.  
"How can you say that after seeing the curse of Barbossa's men?" she asked. "You never know... this could be real trouble." Jack rolled his eyes.  
"Don't worry so much. You'll live longer."  
The rowboat finally pulled up next to the 'Pearl', and Elizabeth, with a hand on Will's shoulder for support, stood slowly to pull herself on board. She clumsily rocked the boat as she stood.  
"Careful, woman!" Jack cautioned her.  
"Mr. Sparrow! Do not address me in that manner---" before she could finish, she stepped onto the side of the boat and completely capsized it. The three fell immediately into the water, completely submerging them.  
Will helped Elizabeth pull herself onto the upturned boat, and they sputtered and coughed up a fair amount of seawater. A moment later, Jack's hand shot out of the water and he pulled himself beside them. Will and Elizabeth's eyes went wide.  
"JACK?!"  
The pirate gave them a questioning look. "What is---" he stopped in midsentence upon hearing his voice..., which WASN'T his voice...  
  
PostChapter Author's Notes: YAY! Finally some stuff happened! What happened to Jack? Who or what has he become? Don't you want to KNOW?! Find out next chapter! ^_^ I know, I'm so bad. CLIFFHANGER! I know that it hasn't been that interesting so far, but trust me, I have big plans for this fic and from here on things will get more in-depth. (Oh, and more Jack/Will slashy goodness... LOTS more! ^_~)  
  
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	4. Ch3: You're Pretty

ProChapter Author's Notes: Okay, so I had this chapter almost all written out and it was SO GOOD! The best chapter so far! HAPPY! When I went to SAVE it, however, it... didn't. It vanished. POOF! Gone. All frustrated, I decided to rewrite it the next day. Soooo I must redo it now, and I'm sure it isn't as good as the original. My apologies. Okay, in this chapter, Jack finds out what happens to him, Will tries to be helpful, and then Jack winds up drunk (duh). There IS, however, a wee bit of Jack/Will-yness. Zazz! Enjoy the rewrite. *Sob*  
  
~Chapter Three~  
*"You're Pretty."*  
  
Jack, Will, and Elizabeth were pulled on deck via rope before whatever had happened to Jack could register in anyone's mind. The crew gathered in a circle around the captain as Will and Elizabeth rose to their feet behind him, the pirate kneeling on the deck with his face out of view.  
Standing slowly and wordlessly, Jack looked down on himself. He was a great deal shorter and smaller, his normally solid body replaced by a slender and curvy one. His beard was gone without a trace and the clothes that had once fit him now hung loosely against his wet body. Eyes wide and mouth open slightly, Jack held his hands before his face in awe at the small size and thin fingers. Looking down upon himself, the first thing he noticed was the obviously female cleavage protruding from his half-open shirt.  
He had become a woman.  
Jack's mouth opened and closed a few times as if trying to speak but unable to find any words. "Hell no..." Jack finally said to herself, eyes wide and in a whisper quiet voice.  
"Jack...?" Gibbs was the first of the crew to venture a word. "Is that you?"  
Jack was silent.  
"What happened?" Annamaria asked in a half-yell, eyes bulged.  
Jack was still silent.  
The crew became uncomfortable with their captain's lack of speech and fell silent themselves, only a few whispering among themselves. Finally, Jack swore something unpleasant under her breath and stiffly took long, angry strides to her cabin, where she entered, slammed the door shut, and disappeared. The crew looked at the door in astonishment for a moment, before turning to Will and Elizabeth.  
"What in the name of hell happened in that cave, boy?" one man asked of Will.  
Will's eyes lingered on the door for a moment, his thoughts on Jack. When he realized he was being spoken to, however, he explained all that had happened to the crew. Once he had told them, to the best of his ability, what had gone on, everyone was quiet once more for a moment.  
"So Jack's been turned into a woman...?" Annamaria asked the obvious.  
"It would appear that way." Elizabeth replied softly. Jack's men suddenly began to converse among themselves, some grinning and laughing and others seemed worried or astonished. Will broke away from the group and headed toward the captain's cabin. He stopped just outside the door and gave a small knock on it.  
"Jack?" he asked softly. When he received no answer, he slowly opened the door and let himself in, shutting it behind him. "Jack? Are you alright?"  
Jack was sitting on the edge of the bed, her head resting on one hand and eyes staring straight forward. Not turning to face Will, she replied in a bitterly sarcastic tone "Why shouldn't I be? Hell, I just lost my manhood and been humiliated in front of me crew." He sighed and his voice lowered a bit. "I'm just peachy." Jack fell back on the bed, arms spread out and eyes looking hopelessly up at the ceiling.  
Will sat down next to the smaller figure. He looked over Jack's form. Her rather large, round breasts were almost completely visible through her half-open shirt and her luscious curves were easy to see through the wet cloth. Where there were once strong muscles was now tight, soft skin and her body was lean and thin, curved in all the right places. She had become any man's dream woman. The kohl still lined her eyes and her hair was still the long black locks it had been before. Her eyes were still the deep brown that Will had often lost himself in, albeit they were shaped more delicately and shaped by long, feminine lashes.  
Will tried to think of something to say to comfort his friend. "Well... at least... you're pretty." he offered. He mentally kicked himself for the stupid remark. That was NOT something Jack would want to hear.  
Jack immediately sat up and looked up into Will's eyes. "Oh, thass great." she replied. "That makes it all better then, mate." She sighed. Putting her elbows in her lap and balling her hands into side-by-side palm- up fists, she hid her face in her hands.  
Will put his hand on Jack's shoulder. "Don't worry, Jack." he said softly. "We won't let you stay like this."  
Jack dropped her arms into her lap and glanced at Will's hand on her shoulder. "S'bad enough I hafta look like a woman, lad. Don't you start treatin' me like one." he replied.  
"What happened to the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow?" Will asked, trying to find a way to dig into Jack's pride and lift her spirits a bit. "You've been in trouble before and you've always found a way out. Scott said there was a cure. We just have to find it, and we WILL find it."  
"He said nobody's ever found it." Jack grimly reminded the blacksmith. "It's not going to be easy as all that."  
"You pried your ship out of the hands of undead pirates, how bad can it be?" Will asked, giving Jack a reassuring grin. Jack smiled back a bit, but it was a hollow and hopeless smile. The two lingered on each other's eyes for a moment.  
Suddenly, the door creaked open and Elizabeth and Annamaria walked cautiously in. "What is it you want us to do, captain?" Annamaria asked Jack.  
"What do you mean?"  
"Your orders, sir."  
The fact that Annamaria still gave her respect comforted Jack just a bit. "It's dark now. Send the crew to their quarters for the night." the captain began. "I heard word of the cursed trinket in Tortuga, thass how I knew it was in Isle de Muerta. We'll set course for Tortuga first thing in the mornin'."  
"Aye, captain." Annamaria gave Jack a small smile and left for the deck.  
"Jack..." Elizabeth walked next to the pirate. "We'll fix this. Everything will be fine, we won't leave you. I promise you that."  
Jack gave Elizabeth a false smile so as not to worry her. "Thanks, luv." The captain stood slowly, causing Will's hand to fall from his shoulder. "You'd best get to yer quarters and rest up the night. I've a bit of business to attend to before I retire to my bed." That said, Jack left his cabin.  
Elizabeth looked to Will as he stood, looking after Jack. "Is he alright?" she inquired.  
Will sighed. "I don't know. I hope we can set things right soon."  
"We will." Elizabeth assured him. She started out of the cabin and to her quarters. She turned back and looked to Will. "Are you going to sleep yet?"  
Will shook his head. "I'm going to stay up a bit." Elizabeth gave a small nod and disappeared below deck.  
For a while, Will stood alone on the deck, leaning his elbows against the side of the ship and looking up into the starry night sky. It was quiet except for the roll of the waves and the creaks of the ship. His thoughts turned to Jack, and the frightened look that was in her eyes. He wished things would be back to normal, and Jack could be Jack again. For a long while, he quietly thought about his friend. Just as he had decided to go find the captain, he heard boots clunking on the deck.  
Jack was clumsily moving about. She tripped over her now oversized boots and fell to the floor. Kicking them off and letting them slide away, she stood and took a large swig of the rum bottle in her hands. Even Will had never seen the pirate so drunk. The blacksmith hurried up to his friend. "Jack!" he said as he stood just before her.  
"'Ello, handsome." Jack slurred drunkenly with a little giggle and a hiccup.  
"What are you doing?" Will continued, ignoring the comment.  
"I'm drinkin' me some *hiccup* rum, silly! Whass it look like?" she paused a moment. "I AM wearing pants, right?" She glanced down at herself, her pants that had become too big for her held high and fastened tightly around her. "Oh goody, I am!" She giggled again and made a move to bring the bottle to her lips.  
"And I think you've had enough." Will snatched the bottle from her and held it above Jack's reach.  
"S'mine!" Jack jumped at the bottle, but, unable to reach now that she had shrunk considerably, stumbled forward. Will quickly dropped the bottle onto the deck and caught the pirate, wrapping his arms tightly around her back, her face in his chest and body held tightly against his. Her hands were placed just below his shoulders, and he was surprised when she did not move to free herself.  
Will realized that Jack had just received the full blow of what had happened to him when she had been overpowered by the blacksmith, a man she normally referred to endearingly as 'lad'. Now, with his arms holding her in place and her body no longer strong enough to push him back, she simply gave up into him. Will looked down at her, her body quivering a bit.  
"Jack..." he loosened his hold on her just enough to look into her face. It was emotionless, save for eyes that showed sadness and defeat. "I'm sorry." He hadn't realized before that he had taken advantage of Jack's new weakness and had treated him in a way he normally would not have.  
"S'ok, Will." Jack said softly and emotionlessly. She gently and slowly, as if asking permission, pulled back from Will's hold. The blacksmith hesitantly let his arms fall off of Jack's body.  
They were quiet for a moment and Will was saddened by the fact that Jack would not meet his gaze. His body ached inside at the hurt that was showing in Jack's features. "I meant what I said." he started, trying to sound sure of himself. "We WILL find that cure and you'll be yourself again. You're STILL Captain Jack Sparrow, and don't you forget it."  
Jack shook her head and finally brought her eyes on Will's. "S'not ME forgettin' the man I am that worries me... it's OTHERS forgettin' that I'm afraid of, savvy?" They were silent again.  
Trying to break the tension Will changed the subject. "Why don't we get to sleep? We'll deal with everything in the morning. I think we could both use a rest." he suggested.  
Jack nodded. "Ye can sleep in my cabin again, if you want. Elizabeth is sharing Annamaria's quarters." she replied. Will gave a small nod. He put his hand on Jack's shoulder and looked hard into her eyes, before turning and the two headed to the cabin.  
Neither slept much that night. Will couldn't get his mind off Jack.  
........ Jack couldn't get her mind off her chest.  
  
PostChapter Author's Notes: Shit. Not HALF as good as the original. Oh well. *GASP!* Jack is a WOMAN! Can you BELIEVE IT?! Muahahahahahaha! I'm so bad. Next chapter, they sail to Tortuga and... stuff happens. Check for updates! *Note:* I will be calling Jack 'she' and 'her' both because HE has become a SHE and to aviod confusion. Oh, and to clear something up with all the nice Ranma 1/2 fans out there, this curse is not like Ranma's. Just though I should mention that. 


	5. Ch4: A Strumpet to Play With

ProChapter Author's Notes: First off, I'd like to say a big thank you to my first 5 reviewers. Thanks a bunch, you're advice and encouragement is really inspiring! Also, as I've received your request to make the chapters longer, I feel obliged to comment on that. I wish I HAD made them longer, and right now I want to be consistent and not have some chapters shorter and the rest much longer. Instead, I'll try to post more chapters faster. I'm having a hard time with that because of high school getting in the way, but I promise to do my best and post more often. I'll try to get the chappies a bit longer, too, if I can. Oh yeah... if you read the story and have comments, questions, or (heaven forbid!) even PRAISE, don't hesitate to review! I loooooooove reviews! ^_________^ Okay, on with the show! In this chapter, they reach Tortuga and some bad stuff happens to our poor Jack. Thank goodness Will is there to help her, huh? Oh yeah, and this is the chapter that raised the rating from PG-13 to R, and it only gets more R- ish from here. Heh heh heh... ^_^  
  
~Chapter Four~  
*"A Strumpet to Play With"*  
  
Jack was the first one up that morning. She stood at the helm of her prized ship, eyes staring unseeingly at the ocean before her. She ran a hand across the railing but stopped in midmotion. Her hand spread out before her, she looked at it again. It was still her's, and yet it wasn't. It was so small and delicate, much like Elizabeth's. Her rings were no longer adorning her fingers, as they were too big now. She sighed and looked back to the sun that had just barely risen, the sky still a beautiful orange.  
Will had been watching her much of the time. She had rolled up the sleeves of her white shirt and tied the front in a knot due to its size, showing a small bit of her midsection (and still quite a bit of her cleavage, as well). Her pants were held up by the same tight belt they were the night before, and she had found a way to tie her oversized boots in place. She had abandoned her hat after finding it too big, but still wore her read head wrap. He walked silently up onto the helm and stood beside her, looking out over the ocean. Neither turned their eyes to each other nor spoke. Will inwardly felt odd standing next to the new Jack, now only barely reaching his shoulders. "Beautiful." he commented absently, not intending to be heard.  
But Jack did hear. "Aye. It is." she replied. Will was relieved to realize that she thought he had been speaking of the sunrise.  
It wasn't long before all the crew had become assembled onboard. Jack never moved off the helm. She didn't want to be seen by them, nor to have to talk to them. She didn't know how they would respond. Would they still respect her? Would they treat her as the captain that she truly was? She didn't know, and she didn't care to feel the humiliation of their eyes again. Will could sense Jack's worry, and never left her side.  
The two were undisturbed for a while until Gibbs hesitantly approached the captain. Jack didn't want to turn to face him, so merely regarded him sideways. "Er... Cap'n?" he began. "What are your orders... uh... sir?"  
Jack was silent a moment before turning to finally look at the man in the eyes. Will was surprised when he saw the expression on her face. It was Jack's expression, that cocky smirk, one sassy lowered eyebrow, and eyes glowing with determination and the obvious sense of leadership. "Get the anchor up and hoist the sails." she ordered, her voice proud, loud, and strong. "We're headin' fer Tortuga." Will smiled widely to himself at hearing the tone of the 'lady' pirate's voice.  
"Aye, Cap'n." Gibbs said with a nod before heading off to help make ready.  
Will was still smiling and looking fondly at Jack when the pirate turned back around to face him. "What?" Jack asked. Will suddenly snapped back to reality and shook his head.  
"It's nothing, Jack. Nothing at all."  
"Glad t'hear it. Now get yer ass t'work, lad." she replied as she took her place behind the wheel. "We've a ship to run."  
"What is it you'd have me do, captain?"  
"What else is a whelp like you good for?" Jack teased playfully. "Swab the helm, boy."  
Will was, for once, more than happy to do the job.  
  
~*~  
  
They arrived in Tortuga that night. Jack had sent her crew through the town on a mission to 1) find out as much about this Badiva's curse as possible and 2) to gather as much rum as they could. It would be both a night of investigation and a night of unwinding.  
Will had managed to convince Elizabeth to stay onboard the 'Pearl' with the few crewmembers who had stayed to watch over her. It was not a safe place to be a woman, especially a woman such as Elizabeth. She wanted to help, but finally agreed to stay back.  
Jack and Will walked together through the dark, drunk-filled streets. It was just as Will had remembered it. Fights, drinking, and whores on all sides. "Where are we going, exactly?" Will asked his captain.  
"To see a man." Jack replied simply. "He was the one who first told me of the gem, so I'm hopin' he can be of further assistance." Will gave a nod of understanding as he followed the pirate.  
They stopped outside a small bar, somewhat unoccupied for Tortuga's standards. They stepped in, and halted just a step inside. Jack pointed to a short, chubby man serving drinks behind the counter. "Thass the man." she told Will. "I want ye t'go talk to him, find out EVERYTHING you can and squeeze every last drop of information you can get out of 'im, savvy? Oh, and grab me a rum or two while you're at it."  
"Why me?" Will asked.  
"Red's not the kind of man who takes kindly to women in 'is bar, nor to take them seriously." Jack explained. "Thass why there ain't many people in this joint. Are ya gonna do it or not, boy?"  
Will gave a nod and headed off for the counter. Jack lingered in the doorway, knowing better then to come in and sit down at Red's place. A group of four men began eyeing her and grinning. Jack put a hand on her sword and never let her eye wander off them, which turned out to be a mistake.  
A man from behind Jack grabbed her in a bear hug and the four from the table began to laugh. They walked up to the struggling pirate, who was no longer strong enough to simply break free and bash their skulls in.  
"Lookie 'ere, boys!" a tall man with short blonde hair addressed the other men with his dark blue eyes on Jack, barely a few inches away from her. "Looks like we got ourselves a little strumpet to play with!" The others laughed and agreed amongst themselves.  
"Get yer 'ands off me or I'll TAKE them off." Jack scowled. The men laughed again.  
"How do you propose to do that, little lady?" the blonde man said again. He motioned something to the man holding Jack from behind, and he snatched Jack's pistol and sword off her belt and threw them forward onto the tavern floor before releasing her.  
Jack immediately turned and took a swing at the man who had been holding her. Her small fist collided with his face and he nearly fell to the ground. Leaning against the wall, the man took note of his bloody nose. "Bitch." he hissed. Jack swore under her breath, knowing that, had she been herself, she could have easily taken him down.  
The blonde roughly turned Jack to face him, grinning, and pinned her against the wall. His hands were on each side of her and his chest was nearly touching her's, his face leaned down and so close that she could feel the heat of his breath against her flesh. "Feisty little thing, are we?" he half-whispered sadistically.  
Jack made a move to push the man back, but he pressed his body close against her's and she became very hopelessly trapped. "Get lost, you bloody dog." she growled, trying to be intimidating.  
"Name-calling? Now that hurts my feelings." the blue-eyed man pretended to be pouty, before pinning Jack by her shoulders and licking along the side of her neck to her ear. Jack attempted to kick at him, panicking, and turned her head as far away from him as possible. She thrashed violently.  
A short struggle followed, which ended in Jack pinned again, this time on her back on a table with two men holding her down by her arms. The man with blue eyes, pleased with this, reached down and began rubbing his hands under her shirt along her sides.  
Jack tried to struggle again, but couldn't move much under their hold. The blonde made quick work of ripping off her shirt and casting it aside, and began licking just below her neck. His hands moved toward her chest, and Jack finally cried out in rage. The blonde muffled her sound by roughly placing his lips over her's.  
Will heard and turned from his conversation. He saw Jack pinned topless on the table, and the blonde man practically on top of her, with his mouth over her's and working his tongue forcefully inside it. Now Will cried out in anger, and quickly dashed toward the men.  
"Bastards!" Will yelled, leaping at the blonde man and knocking him to the ground. The other men let go of Jack and she sprang up, now sitting on the table. She spun around and punched the nearest man in the throat, and he made a pained choking sound and fell to the floor with a yelp. She jumped off the table and slid across the floor, grabbing her sword.  
Two men drew their swords as well, and Jack and them became engaged in a fight. Their blades clashed forcefully against each other, and Jack was astonished to realize how heavy her weapon now felt to her. Finally content with his work on the blonde man, Will pulled out his sword as well and took one of Jack's opponents.  
It wasn't difficult for the duo to overpower the men, and they finally ran off swearing into the night. Jack's wrist and arm was bitterly swore from the swordfight, and she wiped her lips where the man's had been with her free arm.  
"Jack! Are you all right?!" Will asked concernedly. His eyes were wide upon being reminded of her naked chest.  
"I'm fine." Jack said quickly, not meeting Will's eye. She stiffly took her shirt off the ground and resituated it on her, now showing even more of her skin with the large rip the man had put in it.  
"I'm so sorry, Jack. I should've---"  
"Will! Stop that. I'm fine." Jack insisted again. She retrieved her pistol and put both her weapons back where they belonged. "Thanks." she mumbled. Will could tell she had taken massive blow to her pride.  
The pirate walked out of the tavern, Will trailing behind. Jack was stiff and her face was emotionless. When they where back in the open air, Jack turned to Will. "What did you find out?" she asked.  
"About what...?" Will had forgotten for a moment, still shaken by what had happened. "Oh! The gem. He says it's from Satugrett, an island about 3 days journey from here. He says there's a temple to Badiva there, or something of that sort."  
Jack gave a quick nod. "Right. Then to Satugrett it is." She turned and began walking, Will unsurely behind her. Suddenly, she stopped.  
"What?" Will asked.  
"You never did get me that drink, did you?"  
"Yes, well something came UP."  
Jack looked toward a nearby bar (in Tortuga, there's ALWAYS a nearby bar). "Then you still owe me a rum!" The pirate strode in and up to the counter.  
  
~*~  
  
The drunk Jack hobbled alongside Will, her arm around his shoulders. She was laughing and babbling drunkenly on as the blacksmith led her to her ship. She almost tripped once or twice, but Will caught her. Jack had spent half her time in Tortuga drinking and the other half trying to convince WILL to have a drink. He refused all but a tiny sip of her rum, and he had immediately spat it out, coughing and gagging at the terribly strong burning taste. Jack had laughed like a madman... madWOman.  
Will was a bit amazed that Jack seemed so unaffected by the early attempt on her at the bar. She had been shaken after realizing, once again, how much less she was capable of defending herself, but other than that she had recovered quickly and had commented (quite drunkly) something about the blonde being cute.  
Jack didn't sober up until late into the night, but Will had grown used to her drunken antics. In fact, he found them rather entertaining. They were alone in Jack's cabin, and the captain had begun to hum the pirate song Elizabeth had taught her on the island. She began to hum louder, and looked to Will with a grin as she did. She jumped up suddenly, snatching Will's hands in her's and pulling him up with her, and began to jump up and down with him as she sang loudly and slurredly.  
"We're devils and black sheep and really bad eggs! Drink up, me 'earties! YO HO!"  
"Jack!" Will couldn't help but laugh as the pirate swung him around her cabin, and eventually out the door and onto the deck. He didn't see anyone present, so he didn't protest. He knew better than to fight a drunk Jack.  
"Yo ho, yo ho! A pirate's life for me!" Jack sang, swinging Will one last time. She lost grip of one of his hands and the two stumbled onto the deck together. Will landed on his back, Jack on top of him. The captain was laughing, but it soon trailed off into silence as the two started deep into each other's eyes. Will slowly brought his face closer to Jack's. Closer... closer...  
Before he could make contact, Jack clumsily shot to her feet. Will propped himself up on his elbows and looked up at her. They were quiet, before Jack finally gave a hiccup and a chuckle. She waved her arms in the flamboyant way she always did and resumed her singing.  
Will stood and watched Jack with a smile. He wondered what had come over him, the way his heart beat faster and he lost his breath when they laid together on the deck. The way he had brought himself forward toward her, the way she pulled back. He sighed and let himself push back his thoughts, as Jack looked dangerously close to falling overboard as she was dancing around on the rail of the ship. He scurried over to her and pulled her down by her hips. She just laughed, pinched his cheek, and hopped back on. It would be a long night indeed, but Will didn't mind so long as he was alone with Jack.  
At least, he THOUGHT he was alone. Elizabeth had been standing in the darkness of the stairwell, watching the two with interest. At first she had found it funny and cute, the way Jack was twirling around drunkenly and the way Will was chasing her around. But when they had fallen together and they had gone silent, and Will had looked at her... she started to wonder about her beloved. ~*~  
  
PostChapter Author's Notes: I'm not really sure what the purpose of this chapter actually was. It was mainly to get them some information on the curse, but kind of wound up with some weird happenings. I had planned out most of this chapter, but none of it turned out how I had arranged it to. That's okay... I find the ending, with Jack swinging Will around and singing, pretty cute. =^.^= I know they found the info on the gem really quick, but that's because I kind of want to get things moving. There's much more to this story than just Jack's curse. Next chapter, they set off for Satugrett and... well, you know the drill! Read, review, and wrench! Wait a minute... 'wrench'? Forget that part, that makes no sense. Just read and review. -_-; 


	6. Ch4: A Strumpet to Play With

ProChapter Author's Notes: First off, I'd like to say a big thank you to my first 5 reviewers. Thanks a bunch, you're advice and encouragement is really inspiring! Also, as I've received your request to make the chapters longer, I feel obliged to comment on that. I wish I HAD made them longer, and right now I want to be consistent and not have some chapters shorter and the rest much longer. Instead, I'll try to post more chapters faster. I'm having a hard time with that because of high school getting in the way, but I promise to do my best and post more often. I'll try to get the chappies a bit longer, too, if I can. Oh yeah... if you read the story and have comments, questions, or (heaven forbid!) even PRAISE, don't hesitate to review! I loooooooove reviews! ^_________^ Okay, on with the show! In this chapter, they reach Tortuga and some bad stuff happens to our poor Jack. Thank goodness Will is there to help her, huh? Oh yeah, and this is the chapter that raised the rating from PG-13 to R, and it only gets more R- ish from here. Heh heh heh... ^_^  
  
~Chapter Four~  
*"A Strumpet to Play With"*  
  
Jack was the first one up that morning. She stood at the helm of her prized ship, eyes staring unseeingly at the ocean before her. She ran a hand across the railing but stopped in midmotion. Her hand spread out before her, she looked at it again. It was still her's, and yet it wasn't. It was so small and delicate, much like Elizabeth's. Her rings were no longer adorning her fingers, as they were too big now. She sighed and looked back to the sun that had just barely risen, the sky still a beautiful orange.  
Will had been watching her much of the time. She had rolled up the sleeves of her white shirt and tied the front in a knot due to its size, showing a small bit of her midsection (and still quite a bit of her cleavage, as well). Her pants were held up by the same tight belt they were the night before, and she had found a way to tie her oversized boots in place. She had abandoned her hat after finding it too big, but still wore her read head wrap. He walked silently up onto the helm and stood beside her, looking out over the ocean. Neither turned their eyes to each other nor spoke. Will inwardly felt odd standing next to the new Jack, now only barely reaching his shoulders. "Beautiful." he commented absently, not intending to be heard.  
But Jack did hear. "Aye. It is." she replied. Will was relieved to realize that she thought he had been speaking of the sunrise.  
It wasn't long before all the crew had become assembled onboard. Jack never moved off the helm. She didn't want to be seen by them, nor to have to talk to them. She didn't know how they would respond. Would they still respect her? Would they treat her as the captain that she truly was? She didn't know, and she didn't care to feel the humiliation of their eyes again. Will could sense Jack's worry, and never left her side.  
The two were undisturbed for a while until Gibbs hesitantly approached the captain. Jack didn't want to turn to face him, so merely regarded him sideways. "Er... Cap'n?" he began. "What are your orders... uh... sir?"  
Jack was silent a moment before turning to finally look at the man in the eyes. Will was surprised when he saw the expression on her face. It was Jack's expression, that cocky smirk, one sassy lowered eyebrow, and eyes glowing with determination and the obvious sense of leadership. "Get the anchor up and hoist the sails." she ordered, her voice proud, loud, and strong. "We're headin' fer Tortuga." Will smiled widely to himself at hearing the tone of the 'lady' pirate's voice.  
"Aye, Cap'n." Gibbs said with a nod before heading off to help make ready.  
Will was still smiling and looking fondly at Jack when the pirate turned back around to face him. "What?" Jack asked. Will suddenly snapped back to reality and shook his head.  
"It's nothing, Jack. Nothing at all."  
"Glad t'hear it. Now get yer ass t'work, lad." she replied as she took her place behind the wheel. "We've a ship to run."  
"What is it you'd have me do, captain?"  
"What else is a whelp like you good for?" Jack teased playfully. "Swab the helm, boy."  
Will was, for once, more than happy to do the job.  
  
~*~  
  
They arrived in Tortuga that night. Jack had sent her crew through the town on a mission to 1) find out as much about this Badiva's curse as possible and 2) to gather as much rum as they could. It would be both a night of investigation and a night of unwinding.  
Will had managed to convince Elizabeth to stay onboard the 'Pearl' with the few crewmembers who had stayed to watch over her. It was not a safe place to be a woman, especially a woman such as Elizabeth. She wanted to help, but finally agreed to stay back.  
Jack and Will walked together through the dark, drunk-filled streets. It was just as Will had remembered it. Fights, drinking, and whores on all sides. "Where are we going, exactly?" Will asked his captain.  
"To see a man." Jack replied simply. "He was the one who first told me of the gem, so I'm hopin' he can be of further assistance." Will gave a nod of understanding as he followed the pirate.  
They stopped outside a small bar, somewhat unoccupied for Tortuga's standards. They stepped in, and halted just a step inside. Jack pointed to a short, chubby man serving drinks behind the counter. "Thass the man." she told Will. "I want ye t'go talk to him, find out EVERYTHING you can and squeeze every last drop of information you can get out of 'im, savvy? Oh, and grab me a rum or two while you're at it."  
"Why me?" Will asked.  
"Red's not the kind of man who takes kindly to women in 'is bar, nor to take them seriously." Jack explained. "Thass why there ain't many people in this joint. Are ya gonna do it or not, boy?"  
Will gave a nod and headed off for the counter. Jack lingered in the doorway, knowing better then to come in and sit down at Red's place. A group of four men began eyeing her and grinning. Jack put a hand on her sword and never let her eye wander off them, which turned out to be a mistake.  
A man from behind Jack grabbed her in a bear hug and the four from the table began to laugh. They walked up to the struggling pirate, who was no longer strong enough to simply break free and bash their skulls in.  
"Lookie 'ere, boys!" a tall man with short blonde hair addressed the other men with his dark blue eyes on Jack, barely a few inches away from her. "Looks like we got ourselves a little strumpet to play with!" The others laughed and agreed amongst themselves.  
"Get yer 'ands off me or I'll TAKE them off." Jack scowled. The men laughed again.  
"How do you propose to do that, little lady?" the blonde man said again. He motioned something to the man holding Jack from behind, and he snatched Jack's pistol and sword off her belt and threw them forward onto the tavern floor before releasing her.  
Jack immediately turned and took a swing at the man who had been holding her. Her small fist collided with his face and he nearly fell to the ground. Leaning against the wall, the man took note of his bloody nose. "Bitch." he hissed. Jack swore under her breath, knowing that, had she been herself, she could have easily taken him down.  
The blonde roughly turned Jack to face him, grinning, and pinned her against the wall. His hands were on each side of her and his chest was nearly touching her's, his face leaned down and so close that she could feel the heat of his breath against her flesh. "Feisty little thing, are we?" he half-whispered sadistically.  
Jack made a move to push the man back, but he pressed his body close against her's and she became very hopelessly trapped. "Get lost, you bloody dog." she growled, trying to be intimidating.  
"Name-calling? Now that hurts my feelings." the blue-eyed man pretended to be pouty, before pinning Jack by her shoulders and licking along the side of her neck to her ear. Jack attempted to kick at him, panicking, and turned her head as far away from him as possible. She thrashed violently.  
A short struggle followed, which ended in Jack pinned again, this time on her back on a table with two men holding her down by her arms. The man with blue eyes, pleased with this, reached down and began rubbing his hands under her shirt along her sides.  
Jack tried to struggle again, but couldn't move much under their hold. The blonde made quick work of ripping off her shirt and casting it aside, and began licking just below her neck. His hands moved toward her chest, and Jack finally cried out in rage. The blonde muffled her sound by roughly placing his lips over her's.  
Will heard and turned from his conversation. He saw Jack pinned topless on the table, and the blonde man practically on top of her, with his mouth over her's and working his tongue forcefully inside it. Now Will cried out in anger, and quickly dashed toward the men.  
"Bastards!" Will yelled, leaping at the blonde man and knocking him to the ground. The other men let go of Jack and she sprang up, now sitting on the table. She spun around and punched the nearest man in the throat, and he made a pained choking sound and fell to the floor with a yelp. She jumped off the table and slid across the floor, grabbing her sword.  
Two men drew their swords as well, and Jack and them became engaged in a fight. Their blades clashed forcefully against each other, and Jack was astonished to realize how heavy her weapon now felt to her. Finally content with his work on the blonde man, Will pulled out his sword as well and took one of Jack's opponents.  
It wasn't difficult for the duo to overpower the men, and they finally ran off swearing into the night. Jack's wrist and arm was bitterly swore from the swordfight, and she wiped her lips where the man's had been with her free arm.  
"Jack! Are you all right?!" Will asked concernedly. His eyes were wide upon being reminded of her naked chest.  
"I'm fine." Jack said quickly, not meeting Will's eye. She stiffly took her shirt off the ground and resituated it on her, now showing even more of her skin with the large rip the man had put in it.  
"I'm so sorry, Jack. I should've---"  
"Will! Stop that. I'm fine." Jack insisted again. She retrieved her pistol and put both her weapons back where they belonged. "Thanks." she mumbled. Will could tell she had taken massive blow to her pride.  
The pirate walked out of the tavern, Will trailing behind. Jack was stiff and her face was emotionless. When they where back in the open air, Jack turned to Will. "What did you find out?" she asked.  
"About what...?" Will had forgotten for a moment, still shaken by what had happened. "Oh! The gem. He says it's from Satugrett, an island about 3 days journey from here. He says there's a temple to Badiva there, or something of that sort."  
Jack gave a quick nod. "Right. Then to Satugrett it is." She turned and began walking, Will unsurely behind her. Suddenly, she stopped.  
"What?" Will asked.  
"You never did get me that drink, did you?"  
"Yes, well something came UP."  
Jack looked toward a nearby bar (in Tortuga, there's ALWAYS a nearby bar). "Then you still owe me a rum!" The pirate strode in and up to the counter.  
  
~*~  
  
The drunk Jack hobbled alongside Will, her arm around his shoulders. She was laughing and babbling drunkenly on as the blacksmith led her to her ship. She almost tripped once or twice, but Will caught her. Jack had spent half her time in Tortuga drinking and the other half trying to convince WILL to have a drink. He refused all but a tiny sip of her rum, and he had immediately spat it out, coughing and gagging at the terribly strong burning taste. Jack had laughed like a madman... madWOman.  
Will was a bit amazed that Jack seemed so unaffected by the early attempt on her at the bar. She had been shaken after realizing, once again, how much less she was capable of defending herself, but other than that she had recovered quickly and had commented (quite drunkly) something about the blonde being cute.  
Jack didn't sober up until late into the night, but Will had grown used to her drunken antics. In fact, he found them rather entertaining. They were alone in Jack's cabin, and the captain had begun to hum the pirate song Elizabeth had taught her on the island. She began to hum louder, and looked to Will with a grin as she did. She jumped up suddenly, snatching Will's hands in her's and pulling him up with her, and began to jump up and down with him as she sang loudly and slurredly.  
"We're devils and black sheep and really bad eggs! Drink up, me 'earties! YO HO!"  
"Jack!" Will couldn't help but laugh as the pirate swung him around her cabin, and eventually out the door and onto the deck. He didn't see anyone present, so he didn't protest. He knew better than to fight a drunk Jack.  
"Yo ho, yo ho! A pirate's life for me!" Jack sang, swinging Will one last time. She lost grip of one of his hands and the two stumbled onto the deck together. Will landed on his back, Jack on top of him. The captain was laughing, but it soon trailed off into silence as the two started deep into each other's eyes. Will slowly brought his face closer to Jack's. Closer... closer...  
Before he could make contact, Jack clumsily shot to her feet. Will propped himself up on his elbows and looked up at her. They were quiet, before Jack finally gave a hiccup and a chuckle. She waved her arms in the flamboyant way she always did and resumed her singing.  
Will stood and watched Jack with a smile. He wondered what had come over him, the way his heart beat faster and he lost his breath when they laid together on the deck. The way he had brought himself forward toward her, the way she pulled back. He sighed and let himself push back his thoughts, as Jack looked dangerously close to falling overboard as she was dancing around on the rail of the ship. He scurried over to her and pulled her down by her hips. She just laughed, pinched his cheek, and hopped back on. It would be a long night indeed, but Will didn't mind so long as he was alone with Jack.  
At least, he THOUGHT he was alone. Elizabeth had been standing in the darkness of the stairwell, watching the two with interest. At first she had found it funny and cute, the way Jack was twirling around drunkenly and the way Will was chasing her around. But when they had fallen together and they had gone silent, and Will had looked at her... she started to wonder about her beloved. ~*~  
  
PostChapter Author's Notes: I'm not really sure what the purpose of this chapter actually was. It was mainly to get them some information on the curse, but kind of wound up with some weird happenings. I had planned out most of this chapter, but none of it turned out how I had arranged it to. That's okay... I find the ending, with Jack swinging Will around and singing, pretty cute. =^.^= I know they found the info on the gem really quick, but that's because I kind of want to get things moving. There's much more to this story than just Jack's curse. Next chapter, they set off for Satugrett and... well, you know the drill! Read, review, and wrench! Wait a minute... 'wrench'? Forget that part, that makes no sense. Just read and review. -_-; 


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